Push Across America is test of Paralympian Ryan Chalmers' wheelpower

Warn him to lower expectations for himself, and he'll probably raise them even higher.

Tell him he's reaching too far trying to scuba dive despite being wheelchair bound his entire life and he'll show you how long his reach truly extends.

Not just by learning to dive, but mastering it and becoming a certified trainer to show disabled teens across the country there are no limits to their dreams, either.

And if you want to call him crazy for thinking he can wheelchair from Los Angeles to New York City to raise money and awareness for Stay-Focused, the nonprofit that took his hand as a 15-year-old kid from Illinois and held it tight as he grew into a 24-year-old ambassador for teens with physical disabilities, well, by now you probably get the point.

"It's all about setting goals in life, right?" said Chalmers, who was born with spina bifida, an incomplete closure of his spinal column.

Meeting a more-than-ambitious goal is now the test facing Chalmers as he prepares to push off from downtown Los Angeles on Saturday on a heroic wheelchair journey that will take him more than 3,000 miles through 14 states over an estimated 71 days while carrying a singular message for the disabled and abled alike.

"If you set goals for yourself, you can reach them," Chalmers said.

And perhaps prove a point in the process.

"To show people that disability sports are no different than able-bodied sports," Chalmers said. "We put our hearts and souls into everything we do. We work as hard as able-bodied athletes to get to the highest level of sports. So it's a great opportunity to raise awareness for that."

Finally, he hopes to draw attention and raise money for Stay-Focused, a New York City-based organization launched 10 years ago by Roger Muller after a life-altering moment with his brother Bobby.

Bobby Muller had been left paralyzed during the Vietnam War, and as Roger witnessed his brother's joy during a diving trip in Grand Cayman in 2000, Roger immediately understood the power diving could have on people dealing with disabilities.

"I saw freedom in my brother's eyes that day," Muller said.

Stay-Focused began three years later, the goal to offer teens with disabilities the same opportunity to enjoy the independence his brother experienced in the water.

"It's a very, very important point in their lives," Muller said. "Most kids at that age are dealing with self-esteem and awareness issues. This gives them an opportunity to set goals and meet them and understand what they are truly capable of."

Kids like Ryan Chalmers.

"This organization changed my life," Chalmers said.

His and many others.

Over the years, Stay-Focused has funded the travel, lodging and training costs to certify more than 70 disabled teens as scuba divers, including Chalmers, who came to Stay-Focused eight years ago during a painful period of his life.

Always active and pushing the envelope even as a youngster, Chalmers underwent a serious operation when he was 13 that prevented him from participating in sports for more than two years.

"It was a very difficult time for me," Chalmers said.

But a rebirth occurred almost the moment he jumped in the water during his first diving lesson with Stay-Focused. For the first time in his life he didn't need any special equipment to do something able-bodied people could. And in the water, Chalmers wasn't as restricted by the limited use of his legs.

"There was a sense of freedom and independence," he said.

It changed him forever.

The following year Chalmers returned to Stay-Focused, this time as a mentor, a role he continues to serve in and one that continually reminds him how transformational the program can be for disabled teenagers confronting doubt and self-esteem issues.

"You have kids who come through the program who are really shy or they've never left their parents' side or they just don't feel comfortable," said Chalmers, who graduated from the University of Illinois, where he was on the wheelchair basketball and racing teams.

"But the first time they jump in the water you just see their joy and the water going into their masks and the big smile on their faces. It's one of those things that instantly changes people's lives."

Needless to say, there are financial implications. The individual cost for travel, lodging and training is approximately $5,000 per child, a fee absorbed by outside donations with no cost to the families.

To help ensure sustained funding, Stay-Focused is continually raising money and public awareness, a task that ultimately led to Chalmers' notion of wheeling across America two years ago.

By now a world-class athlete - he competed in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and has raced in countless marathons - Chalmers was in search of a new challenge when Muller suggested a campaign to Push Across America in his racing chair to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Stay-Focused.

Typical Chalmers, it took him just a few seconds to immediately dive right in.

A few things attracted him to the challenge.

First and foremost, it's something no one has ever done before. And for someone obsessed with pushing through barriers, that appealed to Chalmers.

Secondly, he could help generate attention and money for an organization that transformed his life.

"When you combine all of those factors, I was absolutely all in," Chalmers said.

With the help of professional cyclists, Team Chalmers devised a route that will cross through the middle of America and average 60 miles per day.

He enlisted the assistance of his longtime training staff to whip him into the type of shape needed to deal with the grueling challenge of pushing through deserts, up mountains, and inclement weather.

He won't do it alone as an entire team will travel alongside - some in cars, other on bikes. There is also hope fellow wheelchair racers will join him at various points along the way.

One day away from pushoff, he's worked himself into tremendous shape - both physically and mentally.

And as he closes in on the monumental 71-day task ahead, he's more than ready to get started.

"We've been talking about it for two years," Chalmers said. "So I'm excited to no longer be talking about it, but actually doing it."

The goal is to reach New York City by June 15.

Chalmers isn't sure what he'll be feeling when he finally reaches his destination.

"I've put so much focus and energy on getting started, I really haven't given much thought to what it will be like to finish," Chalmers said.